Wednesday, October 15, 2014

When Ebola protocols are "disrespected"

It's Tuesday. The
day after a Texas nurse is diagnosed with Ebola. The day before the news tells
us that a second healthcare worker is likely infected.

It’s a warm day and four gregarious HS seniors,
young black women, indulge me as I interrupt their animated talk about some
celebrity’s breakup. They’re on their way home from school.We’re at the Harlem Meer. And I’d like to talk
to them about Ebola.

Are you aware of the Ebola outbreak?

“Yes,
sure”

Do you watch the news on TV?

“Not
really.” [unanimous response]

“Through
the wall…my mother watches in her room and I can hearit.”

So, where are you getting most of your information
about Ebola?

“Instagram [unanimously]. There’s a hashtag”

At some point I mention that health officials said
that the Texas nurse likely got infected because of “breaches in protocol.” And
the head of a national nurse association said that,"The protocols that should have been in
place in Dallas were not in place, and that those protocols are not in place
anywhere in the United States as far as we can tell."

What does
a “protocol” mean to you?

They are
the rules

Something
mandatory

Something that you have to follow

I don’t
think it’s generally written down – not a rule of law.

One young woman explains how some people are “disrespecting the protocols of protecting
everybody around them.”She heard
that a TV news journalist who is also a doctor didn’t stay home after she
returned from Africa, “like she promised.”

She
broke the rules and “is putting everyone
else in danger.”

We know that the public’s understanding is a moving
target.We take in, mull over, and make
meaning relentlessly.

What we're reading and tuning into

Disclaimer

What I post here is intended only as a forum to discuss ideas. Please be aware that referred to research or sources evolve over time so the documents referred to on this blog may be superseded by new information.

Oh, and BTW I use the following broad definition of Health Literacy:“A health literate person is able to use health concepts and information generatively—applying information to novel situations. This is critical to our efforts to prepare the public to react to complex public health emergencies.”(From invited paper presented by me - Surgeon General’s Report on Health Literacy, September 7 2006, Bethesda Maryland http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/healthliteracy/toc.html)